Radio station raises thousands for St. Jude Children's Hospital

EUREKA- On radio stations throughout the North Coast, local DJs and volunteers are raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Partner in Hope' program.

The two day 'Radiothon' calls on the community to help fundraise for the research facility. Bicoastal Media, who owns stations in Crescent City and Eureka, have been a part of the fundraising effort for the past 11 years.

"There is no better feeling than this," said Rollin Trehearne, a DJ at KRED, Big Red Country, in Eureka. Trehearne has lent his voice to the cause since the beginning. Last year, the station raised $154,966.

The hospital, located in Memphis, Tenn. treats children with cancer, HIV and other diseases. The cost to run the facility is $1.9 million dollars a day said Kailey McCarty, a St. Jude Marketing Representative.

McCarty said the hospital has helped sick children locally and allows patients to get treatment through their own hospital for free.

"You know everyone has been touched by cancer and has seen a loved one or someone close to them go through the process of suffering from cancer," she said.

A volunteer for the fundraiser, Charity Kemp, answers phone calls. Kemp said she helps out because she wants to give back to the organization that has helped so many children. "The people that are involved in this are amazing," she said.

Kemp said she wants to support families with sick children in the community. "I feel like any day it could be my child or the child of a friend," she said. " It makes me feel like I'm actually making a difference."